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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bound — obliged
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. bound — certain
  5. craft — boats
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. capital — a city
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. bound — tied together
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. face — part of the head
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. face — to confront
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wax — to grow
  21. face — to point toward
  22. stand — to bear
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. capital — money

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com